Last night, I attended CoasterBash! XII, hosted by the Western PA ACE region. To summarize, it was really a ball. Since it was my first ACE event ever, I'll give you that point of view.
After you walk in the door and pick up your nametag, you're handed a folder
stacked with brochures from
numerous parks. If you really get a kick out of brochures like me, you should really enjoy these events.
Sales tables were lined up along nearly 2-1/2 of the walls. It's a coaster lover's heaven! I picked up a Steel Phantom poster (for a cool $1!), but decided against anything else. If you go for t-shirts, hats, and other clothing, there's
more than enough there for your spending pleasure.
Some of the most interesting items up for sale were literally pieces of Kennywood's history. The old "50¢ / 20 Shots" sign that used to hang in the shooting gallery near Racer, the original logos from the side of the Jack Rabbit cars, and even the front of a JR car were there. These were
not cheap, though, but if you've got a wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket, that's a great way to put out the fire!
(Note: The "20 Shots" sign was $50, and I said before asking the price that anything over $30 was a no-go. At least I've got some willpower! Joe was seriously contemplating one of the $65 JR logos, but ended up not shelling out the cash in lieu of something else...) Through the evening, films of new-for-2000 coasters were shown, with big applause for SFO/WOA's Villain and Holiday World's Legend getting the highest rates on the Clap-O-Meter.
Numerous parks from the region put on presentations. Kennywood had a few, actually. They showed a (long) piece about Steel Phantom's deconstruction and Phantom's Revenge construction, along with a fake surgery on the actual Phantom. They took out his shoulder bars, loop, corkscrew, and boomerang (along with some bolts and other assorted materials, of course), and g瘀攀 栀椀洀 猀漀洀攀 最爀攀攀渀 瀀愀椀渀琀Ⰰ 猀洀漀漀琀栀渀攀猀猀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 愀 瀀爀攀猀挀爀椀瀀琀椀漀渀 昀漀爀 最漀漀搀Ⰰ 挀氀攀愀渀 昀甀渀⸀ 伀栀 礀攀愀栀⸀⸀⸀ ∀䐀爀⸀∀ 䴀愀爀礀 䰀漀甀 刀漀猀攀洀攀礀攀爀Ⰰ 䬀攀渀渀礀眀漀漀搀✀猀 倀刀 刀攀瀀⸀Ⰰ 琀漀氀搀 栀椀洀 琀漀 猀琀漀瀀 ∀戀攀愀琀椀渀最 甀瀀∀ 栀椀猀 爀椀搀攀爀猀⸀ 㰀椀洀最 猀爀挀㴀∀⼀昀漀爀甀洀猀⼀椀洀愀最攀猀⼀猀洀椀氀攀⸀最椀昀∀ 戀漀爀搀攀爀㴀∀ ∀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀伀琀栀攀爀 瀀愀爀欀 瀀爀攀猀攀渀琀愀琀椀漀渀猀 椀渀挀氀甀搀攀搀 䬀渀漀攀戀攀氀✀猀Ⰰ 䌀漀渀渀攀愀甀琀 䰀愀欀攀 倀愀爀欀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 匀椀砀 䘀氀愀最猀 圀漀爀氀搀✀猀 漀昀 䄀搀瘀攀渀琀甀爀攀Ⰰ 眀栀漀 猀栀漀眀攀搀 愀 欀椀挀欀椀渀✀ 瘀椀搀攀漀 漀昀 堀ⴀ䘀氀椀最栀琀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀伀渀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 戀椀最最攀猀琀 猀甀爀瀀爀椀猀攀猀 漀昀 琀栀攀 渀椀最栀琀⸀⸀⸀ 匀挀爀愀琀挀栀 琀栀愀琀⸀⸀⸀ 伀渀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 戀椀最最攀猀琀 猀甀爀瀀爀椀猀攀猀 漀昀 琀栀攀 渀椀最栀琀 㰀椀㸀昀漀爀 瀀攀漀瀀氀攀 眀栀漀 㰀⼀椀㸀搀漀渀✀琀㰀椀㸀 甀猀攀 琀栀攀 椀渀琀攀爀渀攀琀㰀⼀椀㸀 眀愀猀 琀栀攀 瘀椀搀攀漀 漀昀 匀椀砀 䘀氀愀最猀 䴀愀最椀挀 䴀漀甀渀琀愀椀渀✀猀 ∀堀∀⸀ 䤀 琀栀椀渀欀 椀琀 眀愀猀 琀栀攀 猀愀洀攀 瘀椀搀攀漀 琀栀愀琀 眀攀✀瘀攀 愀氀氀 猀攀攀渀 漀渀 琀栀攀 ✀渀攀琀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 眀栀攀渀 琀栀攀礀 猀栀漀眀攀搀 琀栀愀琀 瘀攀爀琀椀挀愀氀 ⠀漀爀 渀攀愀爀ⴀ瘀攀爀琀椀挀愀氀㼀⤀ 昀椀爀猀琀 搀爀漀瀀Ⰰ 愀 爀攀猀漀甀渀搀椀渀最 最攀渀攀爀愀氀 ∀圀栀漀愀℀∀ 挀愀洀攀 昀爀漀洀 琀栀攀 挀爀漀眀搀⸀ 䠀漀眀攀瘀攀爀⸀⸀⸀ 琀栀愀琀 眀愀猀 渀漀琀栀椀渀最 挀漀洀瀀愀爀攀搀 琀漀 琀栀攀 爀攀愀挀琀椀漀渀 琀漀 琀栀攀 戀攀愀甀琀椀昀甀氀 猀栀漀琀 漀昀 琀栀攀 挀愀爀猀 猀瀀椀渀渀椀渀最⸀ 䜀氀漀爀椀漀甀猀Ⰰ 䤀 琀攀氀氀 礀漀甀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀吀栀攀爀攀 眀愀猀 愀 㰀椀㸀氀漀愀搀㰀⼀椀㸀 漀昀 搀漀漀爀 瀀爀椀稀攀猀 愀渀搀 漀琀栀攀爀 氀椀琀琀氀攀 椀琀攀洀猀⸀ 䔀瘀攀爀礀漀渀攀 愀琀 洀礀 琀愀戀氀攀 最漀琀 猀漀洀攀琀栀椀渀最Ⰰ 愀渀搀 樀甀搀最椀渀最 戀礀 琀栀攀 渀甀洀戀攀爀 漀昀 漀瀀瀀漀爀琀甀渀椀琀椀攀猀 琀漀 瀀椀挀欀 猀漀洀攀琀栀椀渀最 甀瀀Ⰰ 䤀 搀漀渀✀琀 琀栀椀渀欀 洀愀渀礀 瀀攀漀瀀氀攀 氀攀昀琀 攀洀瀀琀礀ⴀ栀愀渀搀攀搀⸀ 䤀 眀漀渀 愀 戀攀愀甀琀椀昀甀氀 瀀漀猀琀攀爀⼀挀愀氀攀渀搀愀爀 漀昀 䐀漀爀渀攀礀✀猀 渀攀眀 吀愀氀漀渀Ⰰ 愀氀漀渀最 眀椀琀栀 愀 䌀攀搀愀爀 倀漀椀渀琀 戀甀琀琀漀渀 氀椀猀琀椀渀最 琀栀攀椀爀 挀漀愀猀琀攀爀猀⸀ 䜀漀漀搀 猀琀甀昀昀Ⰰ 椀渀搀攀攀搀℀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀吀栀攀爀攀 眀攀爀攀 愀 昀攀眀 愀甀挀琀椀漀渀猀Ⰰ 愀猀 眀攀氀氀⸀ 吀栀攀礀 栀愀搀 愀 ∀猀椀氀攀渀琀 愀甀挀琀椀漀渀∀ 昀漀爀 琀眀漀 ㈀ⴀ瀀愀挀欀猀 漀昀 琀椀挀欀攀琀猀 昀漀爀 䠀礀瀀攀爀猀漀渀椀挀 堀䰀䌀✀猀 䴀攀搀椀愀 䐀愀礀⸀ 䨀漀攀 ⠀䌀攀爀渀攀氀氀椀⤀Ⰰ 愀 昀爀椀攀渀搀 漀昀 洀椀渀攀Ⰰ 眀愀猀 漀甀琀戀椀搀 愀戀漀甀琀 愀 洀椀渀甀琀攀 戀攀昀漀爀攀 挀氀漀猀椀渀最Ⰰ 戀甀琀 䌀漀愀猀琀攀爀䈀甀稀稀✀猀 漀眀渀 㰀椀㸀䜀爀攀最䰀攀最㰀⼀椀㸀 眀漀渀 琀栀攀 漀琀栀攀爀 猀攀琀⸀⸀⸀ 昀漀爀 漀渀氀礀 ␀㔀 ℀ 圀栀愀琀 愀 猀琀攀愀氀℀ 䔀渀樀漀礀Ⰰ 䜀爀攀最℀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀䤀 猀栀漀甀氀搀 渀漀琀攀 琀栀愀琀 琀栀攀 挀愀琀攀爀攀搀 搀椀渀渀攀爀 眀愀猀 琀栀攀 戀攀猀琀 䤀✀瘀攀 攀瘀攀爀 栀愀搀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀吀栀攀 渀椀最栀琀 眀愀猀 椀渀挀爀攀搀椀戀氀攀⸀ 䤀 挀攀爀琀愀椀渀氀礀 瀀氀愀渀 漀渀 愀琀琀攀渀搀椀渀最 洀漀爀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀猀攀 琀栀椀渀最猀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 瀀爀漀戀愀戀氀礀 愀 爀椀搀椀渀最 攀瘀攀渀琀 漀爀 琀眀漀 漀瘀攀爀 琀栀攀 猀甀洀洀攀爀⸀ 䤀琀✀猀 眀攀氀氀 眀漀爀琀栀 ␀㈀㘀 ⠀琀栀攀 渀漀渀ⴀ洀攀洀戀攀爀 昀攀攀Ⰰ ␀㈀㈀ 眀愀猀 昀漀爀 䄀䌀䔀爀猀⤀⸀ 䤀 栀漀瀀攀 琀漀 猀攀攀 漀渀攀 漀昀 礀漀甀 漀甀琀 琀栀攀爀攀 渀攀砀琀 琀椀洀攀℀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀㰀椀㸀⠀一漀琀攀㨀 伀琀栀攀爀 琀栀愀渀 洀礀猀攀氀昀Ⰰ 䨀漀攀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 䜀爀攀最䰀攀最Ⰰ 眀攀爀攀 愀渀礀 漀琀栀攀爀 䈀甀稀稀攀爀猀 琀栀攀爀攀㼀 䤀 眀愀猀 挀栀攀挀欀椀渀最 渀愀洀攀琀愀最猀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 挀愀洀攀 up with nothing.)
-------------
Matt Lynch
Co-Webmaster, Kennywood Boulevard
http://kennywood.coasterbuzz.com
